Faridpur, Sep 16 (V7N) – Protesters demanding the restoration of previous parliamentary boundaries in Faridpur have suspended their highway and railway blockade program. The announcement came Tuesday (September 16) after an assurance from the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and requests to clear roads for Durga Puja travelers.

The protest coordinating authority said that from Wednesday to Saturday no blockade programs will be enforced. However, they warned that if law enforcement harasses residents, protests would resume immediately. They further declared that unless their five-point demand is accepted, a continuous agitation program will restart next Sunday.

The decision follows two days of unrest. On Monday (Sept 15), protests escalated into violent clashes as agitators blocked at least six points on the Dhaka-Khulna and Faridpur-Barisal highways, burning tires, halting traffic, and disrupting communication with 21 districts. Passengers and goods transport faced severe delays.

The violence intensified when police attempted to intervene. Protesters vandalized and set fire to multiple establishments, including the Bhanga police station, upazila parishad, and election office. Several people were reportedly shot during the clashes.

Authorities have since deployed at least 1,200 law enforcement personnel to maintain order. The DC has warned of using “maximum force” to prevent any renewed attempt to block highways.

Tensions erupted after the Election Commission’s September 4 gazette, which finalized the delimitation of 300 constituencies. In the new arrangement, Algi and Hamirdi unions of Bhanga upazila were shifted from Faridpur-4 to Faridpur-2 constituency. Since then, residents of Bhanga have staged continuous protests, including a three-day blockade beginning this week.

END/SMA/AJ